Monday, 29 April 2013

I know, I know, it's been awhile and still no sign of Irregulars. Like the proverbial boy who cried wolf, I can now safely say that, yes, the wolf is at the door. Or something like that...

Late May Release Date

I spent a week over Easter doing the final galley edits and then there was some waiting for blurbs to come back from the very kind folks who agreed to read proof copies so sadly, Irregulars won't be out in time for my In Conversation gig with Ed O'Loughlin at the Phizzfest but it will be out in late May, definitely!

We've called the Phizzfest gig Crimes of the State and as the title should tell you, it'll be a ball of laughs! (No, actually, it should be quite funny. Ed's satire is both razor sharp and quite hilarious. And sure, what else would you be doing on a Bank Holiday Sunday in May?)

In the meantime, I was interviewed by John Dorney and Cathal Brennan, both of The Irish Story.com on their fine History Show that airs on NearFM in Dublin. If you're faced with a choice between Geordie Shore re-runs or something vaguely more edifying, here's a link to a podcast of the show. I heartily recommend any of their podcasts to history buffs. John and Cathal know their way around the clusterf...the labyrinth that was the Revolutionary/Civil War period in Ireland and are all round great guys who bring both lucidity and enthusiasm--a rare mix, certainly--to Irish History. Their show on the 1913 Lockout in Dublin is particularly fascinating. Here's the link: https://soundcloud.com/nearfm/the-history-show-episode-15#play

And lastly, RTE Radio 1 Arts Show Arena will open Phizzfest this Thursday, May 2, with a live broadcast from Woodstock... http://phizzfest.ie/2013/arena-launches-phizzfest-2013/...the cafe in Phibsborough not the farm in upstate New York, though I was thinking of playing Purple Haze in lieu of rambling on about using crime fiction as a Trojan Horse of sorts to address the use of terror in the founding of nation states yadda, yadda, yadda.... Listen in if you've the time or inclination. Or, click the link on Purple Haze above and listen to Jimmi playing it at Woodstock...the farm, not the cafe...

I'll be back in the next week or so when I've a firm date of release and launch details for Irregulars, information on pre-orders etc. Until then, enjoy the sunshine...(alright, I know...that's not funny, I've crossed a line there...)

Author Info

Kevin McCarthy is the author of the highly acclaimed historical crime novel, 'Peeler' (Mercier Press, 2010). Called a '...dark, brooding, morally complex masterpiece...' by the Belfast Telegraph, 'Peeler' was selected by the Irish Times as one of its Top Ten Thrillers of 2010 and as a Read of the Year 2010 by the Philadelphia Inquirer. His short story "Twenty-five and Out" appears in 'Down These Green Streets: Irish Crime Writing in the 21st Century'. Kevin's second novel, 'Irregulars', is published by New Island Books and was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2013. He is represented by Jonathan Williams Literary Agency.

Buy Irregulars Here

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a strong interest in Irish history – McCarthy writes such an involving, oft-times harsh story that lack of knowledge neither intrudes nor undermines the enjoyment. The contextual mood seems realistic for the times that are portrayed. Depression and disappointment, poverty, prostitution... No pretty pictures are painted and Irregulars is all the better for it."--Tony Clayton-Lea, SUNDAY TIMES

Buy Peeler Here

'the energetic, passionate voices evident in this wonderful collection suggest that this is a challenge Irish crime writers, the trawlers and scribes of our mean streets, might well have the talent to meet'--Irish Times